Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Two Jumps

Jeremy took the fire cubes out of the heater.  His tea was getting cold again.  It always did when he was working.  Time got away from him too easily.  “I’ll have to go back another month and catch up,” thought Jeremy.  His age showed.  In reality, the business tycoon was in his mid-thirties, but in actual years he was nearing sixty.  He could always go back and be the family man; catch his son’s game or daughter’s recital but his body didn’t know the difference.  Jeremy was an old man before his time.

“Computer,” he asked, “how long do I have?”  It paused.  He hated when it paused.

“Judging by your current rate of decline and the current life expectancy for wealthy, American, Caucasian males, you have two remaining jumps.”

“Two jumps,” Jeremy mumbled to himself.  He had hard choices to make.  His wife got off work an hour ago.  He could spend the night with her.  Or maybe he could try something he never had before.

“Computer, I would like to use both of my jumps.”

“Both, sir?”

“Yes, both,” he replied sure of his decision.

The computer began loading and Jeremy closed his eyes to the clicking sound.  It was relaxing after all the years spent in his office.

Atoms rearranged themselves.  The walls and floor disintegrated.  Jeremy felt an uncomfortable force pulling him forward.  It was forward, he hoped.  His skin felt looser, his hair thinner as a bed materialized below him.

“You can come in now,” a caring voice said.  “He doesn’t have much longer.”

An older woman, he recognized as his wife was stroking his hair.  He felt the sensation.  Somehow, the weight of death seemed lifted, staring at her.  Jeremy recalled things he hadn’t lived through, but had happened just the same; vacations, picnics and nights spent underneath the stars.

The two people the nurse motioned came in after a brief chat Jeremy lost track of.  They looked like him, he thought.  They must have been… he choked back tears.  They were his son and daughter.  His son held a child.

“Hello, dad,” the daughter said before embracing him.

“Guess who came to see you?” his son asked.  The child smiled down at him.  It was surreal as he took his granddaughter in his arms.  The weight was heavier than he expected and he knew that he grew weaker.  But, somehow, he had greater strength seeing the new life in front of him.  It was worth the sacrifice of time.
 
 
Image Source: Lauren Miller Gallery

Monday, October 29, 2012

Just Burn the Stars

Just burn me alive
Test my innocence with death
I will drown for you.

The stars are witches
Caught in the blackish canvas
Of the sky on brooms.

 

 
Prompt "Witch" by Haiku Heights
 
Image Source: Fanpop.com

Sunday, October 28, 2012

Please, Help!

Amazon has been arbitrarily deleting reviews for indie authors like me. This hurts sales but above all the ability to share our stories and opinions freely.  Derek Blass has started a petition that I ask you sign, not only for me but everyone affected. These are his words:

"Amazon has been able to build a monopoly in the world of selling books. They have employed the fundamental principles of capitalism to achieve that position. With that monopoly, Amazon is now exerting its power against its most vulnerable sellers, independently published authors. Amazon is currently removing customer reviews from books published by indie authors without any notice, and without any explanation. This petition demands that Amazon explain for every author that loses a review (good or bad) why that review was removed, and set forth clear guidelines as to what will and will not be removed in the future." -Derek Blass
 

Wednesday, October 24, 2012

The Lyrical Versification Podcast


Hello, everyone! I am starting a podcast with my good friend, Amber Norrgard, called Lyrical Versification. We plan to discuss poetry in all its forms. I hope you check it out when it goes live. In the meantime you can all follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

Update: The podcast is now live! Find us on iTunes or tune in here.

Saturday, October 20, 2012

Conscious

I don’t remember
If I kissed you in your sleep
Or we were dreaming.

The lake waits
For the wind to breathe;
Freezing her.


Prompt "Conscious" by Haiku Heights
 
Image Source: hplusmagazine.com

Wednesday, October 17, 2012

All My Heroes

All my heroes are
Dead or disgraced.

I look up or down
To no one but I wish
I could again.

The wide-eyed boy
Died with the dream that
A single moment - as small as it might be,
In sports or life - can change our history.

Monday, October 15, 2012

For Blue

My girlfriend's father had a lovely dog who they had to put down last Saturday. I wrote three haiku in honor of her.
 
Old Blue missed Taffy
she just wasn’t the same dog
without her best friend.

I recall giving
Blue a good scratch, the last time
I saw her this month.
 
I threw the tennis
ball her way and thought I saw
Blue running for it.
 
 

Sunday, October 14, 2012

Untitled

If your favorite song
Still makes you cry
Then you’re okay and
Don’t despair.

If you’re feeling
Lonely in the rain
The rain is too.

Kiss the air and
Cleanse your soul.

Thursday, October 11, 2012

Today

Today
I’ve realized
What I’m not
And what I’ll never be.

Today
The present
And the future
Stood before me,
Leaving me to cry
Into the past.

Today
I left, retreated
With my tears to bed
And dreamt of alcohol.

Monday, October 08, 2012

Haiga & Senryu

When I close my eyes
I remember being home;
Tucked in safe and tight.

The tree knows one home
For its entire lifetime;
Dying if it moves.



Prompt "Home" by Haiku Heights

Image Source

Tuesday, October 02, 2012

Snippet from a New Story

“The holocaust. We’ve got to stop the holocaust.”
 
“Susan, that’s impossible. You can’t stop the holocaust.”
 
“Well, you can’t travel through time in a magic zeppelin either but we’re doing it!”
 
 

Monday, October 01, 2012

Get My Book of Short Plays FREE!

Hello, everyone! I am offering my book of short plays free today on Kindle. There are ten of them covering topics as diverse as pirates and free love. If you don't have a Kindle, there are apps for your smart phone and computer. So, give it a go and I'll give you a hug :-)